Process of anb apparatus for generating electricity



BEST AvAiLABLE COPY y irnri raras i f PATENT OFFICE.

A. nelson, oF-Mnnno PARK, NEW JERSEY.

:illlii'il forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,688, dated September, 1890.

` Application tiled September 19,. 1883; Serial No. 106,884. (No model.) A

To rrr/ZZ whom em/ay concern.-

ile it known that l, 'lHoMAs A. EDISON, ot Menlo Parli, in` the county of Middlesex and State of New .lerseydiaye invented 'a new and useful improvement in the Process of and Apparatus for Generating Electricity, (Case No.

5527,) of which thevfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates tothe directl generau tion in an economical 'manner of powerful continuous currents of electricity from the elements, or salts oncompounds thereof; by

4chemical reaction.

Electricity has been generated hereuzotcre by chemical `'reactions 'in liquids, which acted as the conducting media;

but mpsetq Agenerate electricity by dry chemical reactions, and to use tli'e'ga'seslibf eratcd as the conducting media of the generating; apparat-us. This. I am able to do by caeingxthe dry chemical reactionA to take pl ce in a vacuum-chamber in a .rarefied atmcsphere-forming the conducting medium,

and inthe presence of heat which maintains the chemical reaction and increases the elecccnductiyity of the rareedatmosphere. Such compounds or compounds and elements are preferably used that, under the conditions orheat' and rarefaction employed, the chemical reaction which takes place Withinlthe in'- closi ng-chamber will' produce a solid or liquid noi1-gaseous product which `remains at the point Where the reaction takes place, and will liberate a gas which rises into the chamber. The inclosing-cha'mb'er being electrically di- -yided into two parts, which form the poles or current-collectors of the apparatus, the non' gaseous product remains upon and charges the other pole. v

exhaustion of the chamber to maintain the one pole while the gaseous product charges There is kept up a continual proper degree of exhaustion-as the reaction takes place..r The partei' pole ofthe electricallydivided Vacuum-chamber which is not heated externally may be, if desired, of great heat-absorbing capacity, so as to absorb rapidly ihefheat of the chamber, produc- -ing a lower temperature than at the other part or pole of the chamber. The construc tion to absorb the heat may be that of a steamboiler, so that the steam generated can be employed for'operating the Vacuum appa-v ratus, which keeps up a4 continuous exhausting,l action upon the chamber. The gas which might be employed-Such as a metal or met-- alloid, actedupon by'a gaseous liquid or solid aan aenaiilidliioa ennemi-'uic ELECTRICITY.

is continually being withdrawn from the "compound containing anelement with which it will readily combine when the compound is decomposed; or a non-metallic material, like carbon, might be employed instead of the metal or metalloid. An efficient method is to use a metal-such, for instance, as iron preferably in a divided condition-which is vplaced in the chamber and brought vup to incandesccnce therein, and then to permit steam or Water in the `proper 'quantitiesto enter `the chamber. The oxygen of the watery vapor ywill combine with the metal, andthe hydrogen will be liberated, the chemical reaction setting up a powerful current of electricity, the rareed hydrogen charging one pole, While the other pole is 'charged by the iron. The operation is a continuous one until the metal is oxidized, the heat being kept up and the steam or Water being-permitted to tlowinto the chamber in a continuous and properly-regulated jet'. Carbon in any form' can also be conveniently employed-such as charcoal, coke, lamp-black, or anthracite, or other coal mixed with a rcducible oxide of a metal.- l'Oxide of lead might be mixed with carbon and placed in the chamber. As the heat is raised theoxygcn of the oxide of lead will combine with the carbon, producing carbonio oxide and reducing the lead tothe lnetallic form. rlhe rarelied carbonio oxide passes into the chamber and charges one pole,

while the metallic lead 'charges theother pole.

suitable for the purpose, it can be used for producing chemical reactions in other vacuumfchambers. Carbonio oxide being a powerful reducing agent is especially adapted for this purpose, and as vwithdrawn from one .if desired. Thus metallic iron could be oxidized by admitting water or steam to the chamber, producing currents of electricity, and then charcoal could be placed iu the form; or this could be done by the admission y of carbon'ic oxide, this reaction also producing currents of electricity.. The metallic iron may then be again oxidized, and these operations may be repeated indefinitely, the waste `of .the metal or oxide being made good, as

found necessary. n y

An apparatus for carrying the method into practice is shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which the apparatus is illustrated in' partial vertical section and elevation.

A is a suitable furnace, of which a represen-ts the grate-bars.

B is a flanged tubular vessel supported upon the furnace and having a thick cast? iron bottom plate bwithin such'furnace. On the inner surface of the bottom plate b are upwardly-projecting iron rods or electrodes c. Upon the'vessel B is supported a steamboiler 0,' having water-tubes d projecting downwardly into the vessel y13. The vessel B and boiler-shell C have iianges e f, between which there is an insulating-packing g of asbestus and cement. suitably-insulated bolts hold the anges together. 'lhe boiler closes the top of the vessel, forming reaction-chamber D, in which the chemical reaction takes place. Entering this-chamberD is'a pipe. E,

vextending to the inlet of an air-pumpF,

worked by a steam-engine G, supplied with steam fromboiler C by a pipe H. A pipe I extends from the outlet of the air-pump to the fire-box of the furnace.

K is the pipe fo'r admitting water or steam to chamber D.

L is the feed-water pipe of the boiler, and M is a steam-gage.

The circuit-connections 1 2 will be made with the two parts of the chamber. A number of these generators may be connected together in multiple-arc series or multiple se-i BEST AVAILABLE COPY the products of the chemical reaction, vsub-l '3. The art of generating electricity, which consists-in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber in connection with an electrode or terminal of a circuit, maintaining a rarefied atmosphere in the chamber, and conducting the 'gaseous products ofthe chemical reaction or a part thereof against a second electrode supported in the chamber, substantially as described. chamber and the oxide reduced toa metallic 4. The art of generating electricity, which consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed' chamber in connection with one electrode of a circuit, intensifying the reaction by heat, maintaining a rarefied atmosphere in the chamber, and conducting the gaseous products of the chemical react-ion or a part thereof against a second electrode supported in the chamber, substantially as described.

5. T-he art of generating electricity,` which consists in producing chemical. reaction'in a closed chamber, heating a portion of the chamber containing reducible or oxidizable material, such' portion' constitutingone 'terminal of the circuit, and conductingthe heat aw'ay from another portion 'of the chamber, which portion constitutes a second terminal ofthe 6. The art ofgenerating electricity, .vsiljicli yconsists in producing chemical reactionl in a closed chamber, heatin g a portion of the chamroov ber containing reducible or oxidizable lmaterial, said portion constituting onetermina'l of a circuit, and conducting the gaseous pro-4 ducts againsta second terminal` of the'circuit, substantially as described.

7. The art of generating electricity, which -consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber, maintaining a rarefied atmosphere inthe chamber, heating a portion of the chamber containing reducible material,

said portion constituting one of the terminals of the circuit, and conducting heat away from another portion of the chamber, which portion constitutes a second terminal of the circuit, and is insulated from the first, substantially as described.

8. The art of generating electricity, which consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber, heating a portion of the chamber containing reducible or oxidizable material, said portion constituting one termi-I nal of the circuit, absorbing the waste heat at another portion of the chamber insulatedfrom the first, and constituting a second circuitterminal by maintaining water in connection therewith, thereby gen erating steam, substantially as described.

9. The art of` generating electricity, which consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber, heating a portion of the chamber containing reducible or oxidizable material, said portion constituting one terminal of the circuit, absorbing the'waste heat at another portion of thel chamber insulated" Izo vfrom the irst and constituting a second circuit-terminal by maintaining water in connecexhausting apparatus connected tothe chamtion therewith, thereby generating steam, and driving an exhausting apparatus connected'to the chamber by the steam thus generated, substantially as described.

10.., The art of generating electricity,which ber by' the steam thus generated, and burning Athe products exhausted in proximity to the chamber, thereby heating it, substantially as described. l p 11. The art of generating electrici-ty,which `consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber, charging or acting upon twoelectrodes or terminals by the products of the reaction and burning the liberated gases in' proximity to one portion of the chamber, whereby thek chamber is heated, substantially as described. 'l v l2. Theart of generatingelectricity,which consists in producing chemical reaction in a closed chamber, charging or acting upon two electrodes or terminals bythe products ofthe reaction andconductin g `the gases from 'said Aclosed chamber to a second chamber, substan- ,1 tially as described.

' paratus connected BEST AVAILABLE COPY ll The art of generating electricity,whioh A -consists in producing chemical reactionin a closed chamber, charging or acting upon two .electrodes or-circuitterminalsby the pro-- ducts ofsuch reaction, then reversing the chemical reactiomsubstantially as described.

'tricity, the combination,with the clectrically'f dividedreaction-chamber, of electrodes con nectedwith each divisiomand a vacuum stpwith the.chamber,i subi"stanv ti'ally as described.

.14.'In an apparatus for generating elec- 15.- Injapparatus for 'generatingelectricit l.

the combination, withjthe :reaction-chamber,

of 4'vacuum apparatus ctmnecte'd therewith,-

substantially asset forth.

'16.` VIn apparatus for generating electricity,

the combination,with.the electrica1ly-divided .-I 'I reaction-chamber, of the furnacehe'ating one part ofsaid chamber, and the steam-boiler ab-- sorbing. heat'froni the otherpart of 'saidch'amber, substantially as set fort 17'. yIn apparatus for generating electricity, d'-

the combination-,with the electrically-divided sorbing heat from the'other part of said chamber, and the vacuum' apparatus connected with said chamber, substantially as set forth. This specification signed and witnessed this'- 14th1d`ay oS'eptember, Ai883. f

.Witnesses:

EDWARD C. ROWLAND, Y EDWARD H. PyAr'r.

6o ,reaction-chamber, of the furnace heating one part of said chamber, `the steam-boiler ab'- j 1 -Tr'ros A. EmsoN. 

